No. 31, May 2008

The Tasmania Issue
-Tasmanian perspective: history, facts, and musings
-Taste Tasmania: A two-part series at the wine bar- Largest Tassie Tasting In The US!
-Our Tassie Wine Selections: Pirie, Frogmore Creek, Jansz, Clover Hill & Tamar Ridge
-Mixed dozen special- A Tasmanian "case" study!
-Save The Tasmanian Devil!  What you can do to help

NEWSFLASH: The 11th Annual Penfolds Spectacular is coming soon! Stay tuned.

Tasmania, Land of Mystery

When I talk to people who have heard a little about Australia, one of the regions that always attracts the most curiosity is the island of Tasmania. This extends to wine enthusiasts as well, especially those who love pinot noir. It is a land of mystery to many, with stories of Tasmanian tigers and devils filling our imaginations of a wild and strange land.

It is without a doubt a beautiful place with lush, green valleys and beautiful vistas, in some ways more reminiscent of England than of Oz. The island is one of Australia's six states and is roughly the size of West Virginia, with a population just under half a million. (Factoid: The population of West Virginia is more than three times that at about 1.8 million.) Because almost half of Tasmania is reserved for national parks and world heritage sites, much of the island's economy focuses on tourism.

Tasmania's wine industry is fairly new, though vineyards were planted on the island in the 19th century. (A bottle of sparkling wine made in 1827 was recently discovered in Hobart.) Most of those vines then became the source for rootlings to be planted elsewhere, when Melbourne and Sydneystarted their fledgling wine industries. Although the island's 90 or so wineries account for only 1/2 of 1% of Australia's total wine production, their impact on the country's wine scene is far greater. The best wines are seen on much of the country's top wine lists and in bottle shops, particularly in neighboring Melbourne whose nearby wine regions offer similar wine styles. Over the years that The Jug Shop has sold Australian wine, there have been very few Tasmanian wineries to hop the pond and currently, there are only six wineries exporting to the US. On a recent visit to Tassie, most winemakers I talked to said that exports will always be small as it is difficult to meet local demand, let alone requirements for the Australian domestic market and beyond to international export destinations.

The climate of Tasmania is very cool and as such, is primarily suited to delicate whites and reds. Pinot noir is probably the island's most popular grape with aromatic varieties such as pinot gris, riesling, and gewurztraminer becoming more fashionable. The pinots from Tassie have much in common with those from Burgundy and Oregon with savory notes and elegant structure. White wines are lean and precise offering tight structures that broaden and intensify with bottle age. In recent years, Tasmanian chardonnay and pinot noir has become increasingly sourced for Australia's booming demand for quality sparkling wine-- so much so that almost 1/3 of the island's grapes are destined for fizz.

Our understanding of Tasmanian wine is changing rapidly. Originally perceived to be uniform climatically, it's generally agreed that there are about 7 distinct sub-regions on an island whose climates vary widely due to the diversity of geological features and weather conditions. The western portions of the island are some of the wettest on the planet, but the eastern coast is quite dry and is perhaps destined to become an important source for wine grapes in the next decade. Hobart, Tassie's capital, is the driest of Australia's 6 state capitals, and very good cabernet has been grown not far from there.

The main sub-regions in northern Tasmania are the Pipers River and Tamar Valley areas. Wines from Pipers River are usually the most delicate of all, and grapes there are usually the last to be picked on the island. This area is becoming the main source for grapes destined for sparkling wine. Nearby, the Tamar Valley is a touch warmer and pinots from here tend to have more richness and concentration than those from nearby Pipers River.

Down south, it is hotter and drier, despite the fact that it is closer to the South Pole. Regions that you will find here include the Derwent, Huon and Coal River Valleys. Here, you can sometimes find richer, darker pinots that have more in common with Russian River styles in warmer vintages such as 2005.

The Tasmanian wine industry today is largely built upon work done by Andrew Pirie, who pioneered cool-climate viticulture through collaboration with viticultural icon Richard Smart, though a few other scattered plantings preceded their work. Smart's research in developing new trellising techniques allowed fruit to ripen and avoid mold and disease that had previously hindered grape growing in Tasmania. Working with Pirie, Pipers Brook Vineyard became the first modern winery in Tasmania (See below for more on Andrew Pirie.).

That was in the mid-1970s. Some 30 years later, Tasmania has achieved deserved acclaim for its wines in Australia, but their wines are just not as well known as they should be. Many of the wineries are too small and the production too limited to achieve world-renown. They are, nevertheless, poised to make a larger statement about their place in the world of wine. To help remedy that situation, The Jug Shop will hold two tastings that will introduce you to just about every Tasmanian wine available in the US. Taken together, these two tastings will be the most comprehensive Tasmanian wine events ever held in America, and a great opportunity to learn more about this special place.


At The Wine Bar: Taste Tassie In Two Parts
The Most Comprehensive Tasmanian Wine Tasting In The US!
Sunday, May 4th- Tasmania Part 1: The Reds
With special guest Anthony Woollams from Pirie
This Sunday, please join us for a tasting of pinot noir from Tasmania. The tasting will include all pinots currently exported to the US market, including Pirie Tasmania, Frogmore Creek, Tamar Ridge, Spring Vale and more! Led by special guest and Jug Shop friend Anthony Woollams, export manager for Pirie Tasmania. 3pm to 5pm, $20 per person.

Sunday, May 18th- Tasmania Part 2: Whites & Fizz
On Sunday the 18th, Aussie wine buyer Chuck Hayward will lead you in a tasting of fizz and aromatic varieties from Tasmania. To be featured are Jansz, Clover Hill, Pirie Tasmania, Tamar Ridge, Frogmore Creek and more! 3pm to 5pm, $20 per person.

Pirie Tasmania
Andrew Pirie and the Tasmanian wine industry are very closely intertwined. Indeed, it's pretty hard to talk about one without mentioning the other. Following the conclusion of his tenure resulting from the sale of Pipers Brook, Andrew set about to create a new label based upon the lessons he learned from his previous job. On the set of a new site he recently purchased in the Pipers Valley, I asked Andrew what he would have done differently at Pipers Brook and he proffered that he would have picked warmer sites. The new Pirie label allows him to practice his newfound knowledge.

Pirie's new plantings allow him to offer a full range of styles, from the value-priced Pirie South label, to his estate wines and the ultra-rare "Sigma" Reserve line. The white wines are restrained yet clear in flavor and aromas, untainted by oak or heavy handed winemaking tricks. For those who know the wines of Pipers Brook, the new Pirie wines show a confidence borne from these new vineyard locations. Emphasizing purity of fruit flavors, the acids are well-integrated and oak very much in support of the fruit. The estate and reserve pinots are medium weight and, again, show that clean and bright fruit flavor where his Pipers Brook's pinots had a more earthy character. For fans of his pioneering Pirie vintage sparkling wine, rest assured that a new cuvee is already in the works and the base wines are looking great.


2006 Pirie South "Estelle" 19.99 * (blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer & Pinot Gris)
2006 Pirie South Pinot Noir 19.99
2006 Pirie Gewurztraminer "Estate" 29.99
2005 Pirie Pinot Noir "Estate" 34.99 *
2005 Pirie Pinot Noir "Sigma Reserve" 54.99

Buy it!  Click here to buy Pirie wines at JugShop.com.


Frogmore Creek
The Frogmore Creek label is an offshoot of the famed Wellington Winery housed near Hobart. While Andrew Pirie has become the more public face of Tasmania, Andrew Hood should be as famous for his dedication to making wines in southern Tasmania. As a contract winemaker, Andrew has been responsible for producing wine for almost 50 small growers and wineries. He has now linked up with Jack Kidwiler, a former Bay Area resident, to make wines from vineyards surrounding his winery and their first wines have just arrived into the US market. Their intention is to become the first certified organic vineyard in Tasmania

The southern portion of Tasmania is, contrary to what one might think, a bit warmer than the northern regions of the island. Many of the pinots here have a bit more body and richness but still have a sense of structure and firmness that is closer to warmer vintages from Oregon. Frogmore Creek's pinots, both their estate line as well as their value priced 42 Degrees line, have a deeper color and firm flavors. Since Andrew makes wines for so many different growers, he is well versed in production methods for many varieties including shiraz and ports, wine styles one would think could never be made in Tassie. Nevertheless, Andrew continues to excel in his strong suit, stunning dry as well as sweet Rieslings which have garnered him numerous awards over the past decades.

2007 42 Degrees South Sauvignon Blanc $17.99 *
2005 42 Degrees South Pinot Noir $16.99
2006 Frogmore Creek Riesling "FGR" $19.99
2005 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir $24.99 *
2005 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir Port (375ml) $24.99 *
2006 Frogmore Creek Riesling "Iced" (375ml) $19.99 *

Buy it!  Click here to purchase Frogmore Creek at JugShop.com.


Jansz
The Jansz winery is a sparkling wine project developed by Michael Hill-Smith of Barossa's famed Yalumba Winery. The vineyard site originally housed the Heemskerk winery and is adjacent to the Pipers Brook site developed by Andrew Pirie. Back in the day, the vineyard was planted to cabernet but later saw chardonnay and pinot. The French champagne houses started sniffing about, as they are prone to do, and Louis Roederer developed the Jansz brand. The winery was sold some ten years ago and Michael has committed his considerable resources towards fashioning some great fizz. In a recent interview with Campbell Mattinson of Winefront Monthly he said: "We want to make something sensational, but with a truly Australian thumb-print on it. We're happy to bleed the French dry of information on how to go about it, but its Australian-ness is an essential ingredient."

NV Jansz Premium Cuvee Brut Sparkling 19.99*

Buy it!  Click here to purchase Jansz Sparkling at JugShop.com.


Clover Hill & Lalla Gully
Napa's Clos du Val Winery purchased Taltarni Winery in 1972 and after fourteen years, they crossed the Bass Strait and purchased land in the Pipers River area. The former dairy property became Tasmania's first vineyard and winery developed solely for the production of sparkling wine. Clover Hill's fizz retains the elegant flavors of Tassie pinot but it has gained more yeasty characters over the years, with the current vintage being one of the best yet.

The Lalla Gully wines are from a nearby site that is slightly warmer and perfect for growing aromatic whites such as riesling. The goal is to create a still wine program from this vineyard to complement Clover Hill. Other varieties planted on the site (pinot gris, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc) are not yet exported to the US due to limited availability.

2003 Clover Hill Brut Sparkling 29.99*
2006 Lalla Gully Riesling 19.99*

Buy it!  Click here to buy Clover Hill & Lalla Gully at JugShop.com.


Tamar Ridge
The Tamar Valley is a short drive west of the Pipers River region where Andrew Pirie had his start and he finds himself there today as president of the winery in addition to developing his own label. The Tamar River area is lightly warmer than the Pipers River region that saw the birth of the Tassie wine industry and allow for slightly fuller bodied pinots. The winery has a dedicated viticultural and winemaking research program, as one might expect when your CEO earned Australia's first Ph.D. in viticulture.

2005 Tamar Ridge Pinot Gris $19.99 *
2004 Tamar Ridge Riesling $19.99
2007 Devil's Corner Pinot Noir $14.99
2004 Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir $24.99 *

Buy it!  Click here to purchase Tamar Ridge at JugShop.com.


Pipers Brook
No mention of Tasmanian wines available both in Australia and in America could be made without reference to Pipers Brook. Unfortunately, Pipers Brook is no longer exported to the US market but some stock of their wines can still be found on wine lists and shelves, including ours. Andrew Pirie worked at Pipers Brook through the year 2000, shortly after it was purchased by Belgian wine merchants Kreglinger. The style of their pinots has remained true to the grape sources of the Pipers River area, elegant and fragrant wines with subtle complexity. The palate has earthy, spicy notes reminiscent of Oregon and Burgundy with none of the fruity, primary flavors usually seen in California.

2004 Pipers Brook Pinot Noir "Estate" 34.99
2004 Pipers Brook Pinot Noir "Reserve" 39.99 *

Buy it!  Click here to purchase Pipers Brook at JugShop.com.


Special Offer: A "Case" Study of Tasmania
Taste all of what Tasmania has to offer in a mixed dozen! One bottle of each of the asterisked wines above for only $249.99- a $50 savings!

Case Study Tasmania Includes:

NV Jansz Premium Cuvee Brut Sparkling
2003 Clover Hill Brut Sparkling
2006 Pirie South "Estelle"
2006 Lalla Gully Riesling
2005 Tamar Ridge Pinot Gris
2007 42 Degrees South Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Pirie Pinot Noir "Estate"
2005 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir
2005 Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir
2004 Pipers Brook Pinot Noir "Reserve"
2005 Frogmore Creek Pinot Port (375ml)
2006 Frogmore Creek Riesling "Iced" (375ml)

Buy it!  Click here to purchase Case Study Tasmania at JugShop.com.


Save The Tasmanian Devil!
While we're on the topic of Tasmania and the uniqueness of its wines, we felt it important to inform our readers about one of Tasmania's other unique treasures and one that's in imminent danger- the Tasmanian devil. Made wildly popular by the Warner Brothers cartoon character, the Tasmanian devil is actually a shy, wary creature. The name came from early European settlers to Australia, haunted at night by the sound of its spine-chilling screeches and demonic growls. (Click here to have a listen!) The largest of the living marsupial carnivores, the Tasmanian devil resembles a robustly-built, small dog with powerful jaws and a set of large, strong teeth. As for the reputed (and fictionalized) bad temper-- it's mostly bluff. Once found all over the Australian mainland, today the Tasmanian devil is found only in the wild in Tasmania. It is wholly protected, and a State icon.

But the devils today are faced with extinction. A deadly, contagious form of cancer known as Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is killing these unique creatures at an alarming rate. In the past 10 years, nearly half the population has been wiped out, putting them on the Endangered Species list. Once the cancer becomes visible, it is 100% fatal, usually within several months. Small lesions around the mouth quickly develop into large tumors on the face and neck, making it very difficult for the animals to eat. Death results from starvation and the breakdown of bodily functions. Due to a lack of genetic diversity among devil populations which may have revealed an immunity in some animals, the only immediate conservation measure is to isolate unaffected populations until a cure can be found.

Australia is treasued for its ecological diversity and the uniqueness of animal life found nowhere else on earth. The discovery of a contagious form of cancer has implications not only for the devil, but for all living creatures, including mankind. There are several efforts underway to help save the Tasmanian devil from extinction. If you would like to donate, please visit one of the below. We'll also have these websites up during our Tassie tastings if you'd like to donate on the day.

University of Tasmania Foundation: Save The Devil
http://www.utas.edu.au/foundation/devil.htm

Devils In Danger Foundation
http://www.devilsindanger.com.au/about_the_foundation.htm

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park
http://www.tasmaniandevilpark.com/friends.html



Down Under Discoveries by Chuck Hayward, © May 2008.